It has remained for the Methodist Central Mission to go a step further and provide a rest room and a luncheon room for the convenience of girls who are earning their livelihood. These were opened last night under very auspicious circumstances. They will be under the superintendence of the Rev C. Eaton, and the management of the mission committee. Two commodious rooms on the second floor of the mission building, just above the social hall, have been placed at the disposal of girls.The rest room has been tastefully, even handsomely, furnished and with the evident object expressed in its title — “Rest”. It is not a charity. It is proposed to form a girls’ luncheon club, with a payment of a small subscription — say one shilling a quarter or a penny per week, as it is believed that in these independent days the girls would like to feel that they were contributing a little towards the upkeep of the establishment. In the luncheon room there are gas rings with penny-in-the-slot meters attached, while kettles and teapots will be provided and girls will bring their own lunch. Crockery will be provided if necessary, but it is hoped that girls will provide themselves with cups and saucers, to be kept on the premises. Stress was laid by the Rev. C. Eaton upon the fact that girls of any denomination will be welcomed at the rooms without any distinction.
Military surplus equipment
Vast stores of military equipment which had been provided for Australia's fighting forces will shortly be arriving from England (says the Melbourne Age).
The collection includes not only clothing which was in store for Australian troops when hostilities ceased and was never required but also a great deal of British material handed over to the Commonwealth Government. This comprises, practically speaking, the fighting outfit of an army. In the near future various ships will arrive carrying army wagons and transport vehicles, rifles, machine guns and artillery web equipment, and the complete outfit of an infantryman.
Amundsen’s pole expedition
Christiania: News has been received from the Governor of Alaska regarding Captain Amundsen's expedition, which is in the ice on the Siberian coast near the North Cape. A couple of the crew left the ship last October with important letters, travelling by dog team to Norway, a distance of 2500 miles. They expect to reach Petrograd in September next. Captain Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian discoverer of the South Pole, left Norway in the Fram (re-named the Maud) on a North polar expedition in the summer of 1918, expecting to be away for about three years. Some months ago the cablegrams stated that Norwegian experts conjectured that Amundsen had been drowned, but since then news has several times been received regarding the expedition from the Siberian Coast.
Telegraph insulators broken
On a 26 chain length of telegraph line in Oamaru 47 insulators have been broken. These cost from 1s 6d to 2s each at present, according to size. More will very likely be heard of this piece of “fun”. — ODT, 7.7.1920.
